Friday, July 26, 2013

Pregnant and Unplanned: Finding Love and Support

My daughter and grandson

A charge often leveled by the pro-abortion crowd, is that pro-life advocates only care about the baby - not the mother. As popular as this 'choice' soundbite is, it's rooted in falsehood. To be truly pro-life is to care about all humans - born and unborn, young and old, healthy and ill. We pro-lifers are not selective about to whom we give support. Instead, we do our best to emulate the unconditional love given to us by God. I think that's why so many different pro-life ministries have sprung up - each of us has our own unique perspective, reflected in our own personal approach.

The gifts that I have chosen to share, in an effort to win hearts for life, revolve around my creative side and in giving my own, intimate pro-life testimony. When I create my pro-life memes and share them on the Designs by Birgit fan page, my aim is to educate by using mostly soft, gentle images that portray mothers and babies in a positive light. The the majority of the photos used in my graphics are taken from personal photo albums or sometimes those of friends. Inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit because it is He who matches the quotation, article or thought with a particular image.

Throughout these 40 years I have also accumulated a varied array of pro-life friends. Some have been victimized by abortion and share their stories through Silent No More. Others keep carefully documented facts and statistics, while others blog, Tweet, or give personal support out in the trenches or at Pregnancy Centers. Praying at abortion mills also comes into play as do the prayers and Masses offered for all those affected by abortion. There are endless ways to lend a hand.

In my pro-life ministry, I recently made an online acquaintance who created a website called Pregnant and Unplanned - stories of enCOURAGEment. With this medium, she aspires to bring comfort and a sense of belonging to women who find themselves faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Her hope is that the testimonies, submitted by women telling their own stories, will let other women know that they are not the first to experience such a period in their lives. If you know of anyone who has such a story to share, be sure to check her out.

I submitted my own experience to her and it was published about a week ago. To my surprise, when I checked an article from LifeSiteNews, I found that I had been mentioned in their story about her site.. You can read Unplanned and Loved: website strengthens moms with crisis pregnancies with hopeful stories, by going to the LifeSiteNews website. Since word has gotten out about her wonderful ministry, many women (and men) have chosen to share their stories as well. It appears as though she will be winning hearts and giving courage to many women who desperately need it.

All in all, we all have the power to help build a pro-life network with something for every need. As unique as we all are, so are the needs and our stories. The more we work toward changing hearts for life, the more we will win back our society - helping to show the humanity of mother and baby. May the Holy Spirit send us the grace to do all we can to be a part of that change of heart in our world - workers in the vineyard are desperately needed.

Designs by Birgit

Birgit Jones is a 50-something cradle Catholic who is passionate about the Church and the prolife movement. A graduate of Brescia University, she has employed her Bachelor of Art degree in pursuits ranging from Executive Director of Right to Life groups to Field Representative to Congressman Ron Lewis (R-KY).

She has been married to her Catholic convert husband, Rick, for 40 years. They have four children and eight living grandchildren (all age eleven and under). Their frequent visits eliminate any fear of an empty nest!

Birgit can also be found on her personal blog Designs By Birgit and Facebook fan page Designs By Birgit, where she utilizes her advertising and public relations experience to promote Life through her pro-life memes.